


Descent into Darkness

by Shutsumon



Series: Passage Through Shadow [2]
Category: Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Dark Chosen Children, Extra Crests, Gen, Not Tri Compliant, Some characters have altered back stories, Uses the Japanese terms
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-03-10 08:52:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13498683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shutsumon/pseuds/Shutsumon
Summary: The Dark Ocean is after Hikari. Will it overwhelm her? And if it does will the result be what it expects.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is the Sequel to Remembering to Burn. You really need to read that first.

Jun Motomiya was obviously attempting not to smile as she surveyed the scene before her. Seeing her brother and his friends emerge from a computer screen and land in a pile on the floor must have been surprising but apparently she thought that they looked funny. Daisuke was babbling an explanation at her that didn't cover the fact he'd just emerged from a computer even though Takeru was pretty sure she'd seen it. He must have been right because she folded her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"And this gibberish explains what you were doing coming out of the computer's monitor how?"

"Uhhh!" Daisuke said. He obviously hadn't realised that she'd see that bit.

"Rats!" said Taichi. "We'll have the tell her the truth and hope she doesn't blab."

"Hey!"

Her attentiveness during the explanation surprised Takeru given her ditzy reputation but apparently Jun did care about her brother in reality and risked nothing in relation to him. The stories he'd heard from the guys at school about Daisuke's crazily overprotective sister suddenly seemed possible. Apparently she watched out for him a lot even if he did hate her sometimes. Takeru wondered if she'd known that something was going on. As she smiled down at Chibimon it seemed quite possible.

"So you're alive?" She sounded amused and curiously calm about all this.

"Yep." The little blue digimon grinned back at her.

"Oh, good. I was beginning to worry about my brother's sanity. I mean still being attached to a plushie at his age. Definitely not normal."

"What were you doing here anyway?" Daisuke asked.

"I was worried about you." She replied. "You might be an uncute brat but I do notice when you're missing. I thought your friends might know where you were."

"Got more than you expected didn't you?" He grinned.

She just smiled at that. "I don't think we should tell Mom and Dad about this."

"Probably not." He agreed. "Even it wasn't supposed to be a secret I don't think they'd react well."

“No.” She turned and looked at Ken. “And you. We'll need to figure out a way to sneak you home without you being spotted. You should have chance to talk to your parents before you have to face the police and press.”

 

***

 

The doctors had insisted that Hikari had a CT scan because of the knock she'd received to her head and had kept her in for observation in case of complications since she'd been unconscious for some time. She was lying in bed waiting for her parents to arrive so she could reassure them that she was okay but the pain medication they had given her was making her drowsy. She was just about to doze off when her mother came running into the ward.

"Hikari, are you all right? We were so worried. What happened?"

"I don't remember much. I must have fallen." Hikari had agreed on a simple lie with Jyou. The simple one's were less likely to be found out. "Taichi's friend Jyou found me and bought me here but I'm okay. I've got a broken arm and I think that I shook up my brains a little. They've taken a scan just check that I actually have one." She grinned as her mother chuckled at that. "Where's Dad?"

"He's talking to the doctor. Are you sure that you're okay? You've never been very strong and you seem a little hazy."

"They gave me some medicine for the pain. It's making me a little sleepy but I'm fine. Honestly."

"If you're sleepy you should sleep. Your father won't mind."

"Okay. Thanks." Hikari closed her eyes and dozed off.

 

***

 

Ken was still wondering what he was going to say to his parents as he stood outside his own front door and knocked hesitantly. When his mother opened it she stared at him for a moment before whispering. "Ken?" She sounded like she didn't quite believe her eyes.

"Mom," he said quietly. "I'm sorry that I ran way but I needed space to think and now we need to talk."

"Ken!" She said in a louder voice and pulled him into a hug. "We were so worried about you!" She let him go and ushered him inside. "And I know that we need to talk, dear, you wouldn't have run away if there wasn't a serious problem." She headed for the phone. "I'll just call your father and the police and let them know that you've come back. Everyone will be so relieved that you're all right. Do you want to wait for your father before we have this talk?"

"I need to talk to both of you." Ken nodded. At least that would give him extra time to sort out how to explain he couldn't be his brother any more. “Can you just call Dad first? I don't want to face the police yet.

“Of course” she said. "In the meantime would you like something to eat?"


	2. Chapter One

_**Drip** _

_Wherever she was it was dark but somehow Hikari found that she could see clearly. It was almost like being in a monochrome negative. The places that should have been darkest were almost light and the places that should have been lightest were pitch black and there was not a hint of colour anywhere._

_**Drip** _

_It was disorientating in the extreme and made her feel sick. Everything about the place was just plain wrong. Worst of all she had no idea where she was or how she had got there but it wasn't Earth or the Digital World. That much she was sure of._

_**Drip** _

_She found a track and followed it through a deserted and decaying fishing village to a lonely beach. The sea was dark and as she looked out across the waves she felt strange. What the hell was this place and why was she here?_

_**Drip** _

_And what was that dripping noise? Even in the midst of all this strangeness it was putting her teeth on edge. She looked around carefully but saw nothing to make it and soon enough she found that her gaze was drawn back out to sea. This time, however, she saw something else. Near the horizon a massive, vaguely human shaped figure stood waist deep in the water. Even at that distance it seemed to tower over her and it was looking at her with its eerie glowing eyes. Then it spoke in a voice thick with menace._

_"Child of Light, come to me," it whispered._

Hikari woke up in her hospital bed with a terror-filled shriek that was so loud that it brought a nurse running.

"Miss Yagami, are you alright?"

"I-it was j-just a n-nightmare, nurse. I'm sorry I bothered you."

"It must have been a bad one from the noise you made." The nurse reached down and smoothed her hair. "And you're drenched with sweat." She added in a concerned tone. "Do you want me to get you something to help you get back to sleep?"

"I think I'll be okay." Hikari managed to smile. "I just need to calm down for a minute."

"If you're sure." The nurse straightened the sheets. "If you change your mind just use the buzzer."

_That dream was so real,_ Hikari thought as the nurse left. She took deep breaths in order to calm herself. _It was just a dream._ She tried to convince herself but there were nagging doubts in her mind. _It's everything that's happened. It's beginning to get to…_ Her thoughts were interrupted by something that made her blood freeze.

"Come to me." The voice from her dream whispered in her ear. She turned her head quickly but saw nothing except for a flicker that might have been something vanishing. On the floor where it had been was a puddle of strangely dark water.

She didn't get any more sleep that night after all.

  


***

  


Most of the Chosen Children were currently in the Digital World helping demolish spires but Hikari had been released from hospital that morning after the CT scan showed nothing untoward and Takeru had been appointed to take the get well soon gifts to her even though they could just have asked Taichi to deliver them. He had been glad, if a little surprised, that he hadn't had to fight with Daisuke for the honour. Mrs Yagami had told him that she was tired and he didn't want to wake her if she was asleep so he tapped quietly on her bedroom door. She must have been awake because he was rewarded by an immediate if quiet. "Come in."

"Hikari?" He said as he poked his head round the door. "How are you?"

"Takeru!" She looked pale and tired but her face brightened when she saw him. "Come in. I'm okay."

"I come bearing gifts," He produced the box of expensive chocolates and the card. "We put our money together and got them for you."

"Thanks." Even her smile looked strained and Takeru began to worry. Somehow he could sense that whatever was wrong went beyond the stress of her injuries.

"You are not okay, are you? You seem a little…" He frowned as he tried to find words. "Something is wrong, isn't it? I mean more than that." He pointed at her arm.

"I'm just tired," she said. "Where are the others?"

"Where do you think? In the Digital World knocking down dark towers left, right and centre now that we don't have to worry about someone stopping us."

"Unless those damned Dark Chosen try to co-opt the system," she growled. "Did Ken go along?"

"Yes he did and Iori wasn't exactly happy about it. Now stop trying to change the subject. What is wrong with you?"

"I told you I'm just tired!" she snapped. He stared at her. Now he knew for certain that something was wrong.

"It won't do any good. She won't even tell me what's wrong." Tailmon told him from where she was lying down. "She's been tired ever since she got home but absolutely refuses to sleep. She's been doing everything she can to stay awake."

"You had to go and tell him that didn't you, Tailmon." Hikari sighed. "Now he'll just worry as well."

Of course I'll worry. I was already worried. I'm your friend." Takeru was beginning to feel exasperated. "And friends help each other when they are in trouble. You know that!"

"No one can help me." Hikari said in a strangely dead tone. Takeru had the strangest feeling that she didn't even know she was speaking out loud. "I have to face this alone."

"Over my dead body!" Takeru was shocked. He'd never heard such hopelessness in her voice before.

"That's what I'm afraid of." She said so quietly that he almost didn't hear her. He was sure he wasn't meant to. She turned and stared out of the window. "Please don't worry, Takeru, it's probably nothing. I'll see you at school tomorrow. I'm sure I'll feel better once I get back into the swing of things. You should go and help the others. There's a lot of spires to clean up."

"I'll go if you promise to get some sleep." He said.

"No!" Hikari sounded so terrified that Takeru knew he was onto something. His eyes narrowed.

"You can't avoid sleeping forever, Hikari. So why don't you tell me why you're afraid to sleep?"

"You aren't going to let this go are you?" She sighed. "Okay, I'll tell you."

When she finished describing what had happened at the hospital the previous night he frowned. "Are you sure that one of the nurses hadn't spilled something?" He asked, focusing on the only piece of physical evidence. She nodded and he sighed. "Well since it's obvious that this thing can also reach you while you're awake it's probably no good avoiding sleep. It's certainly not healthy."

Hikari sighed. "I guess you're right. I'm not thinking too clearly at the moment."

"I'm not surprised it worries you though." He smiled encouragingly. "I'm going to talk to the others." He put up a hand to stop the protest he saw forming on her lips. "Taichi needs to know at the very least. The creature called you by your crest and that means that this is to do with the Digital World somehow and an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. For all we know this is another ploy by the Dark Chosen."

Hikari scowled thoughtfully then shook her head. "I don't think so," she said.

“Why not?”

He looked at her quizzically. "It feels different. All that that Chiharu girl wanted to do was to use me as an energy source. Whoever this is they want something else from me. I don't know what … yet."

"We'll find out." He promised. "I'll go and find the others. If anything else happens send us an email." He looked over at Tailmon. "And if for any reason she can't. You do it."

"Of course." The white cat digimon nodded.

"And don't leave her alone until we know what's going on. Unless one of the other Chosen Children or their digimon is with her of course."

"That goes without saying." Tailmon replied.

  


***

  


Daisuke was very surprised when Takeru joined them in the Digital World so soon. He'd expected the other boy would keep Hikari company for a while at least. What was more he looked extremely worried.

"Is Hikari all right?" he asked. When the Child of Hope frowned but didn't answer immediately he became even more concerned. "What's wrong with her?"

"We've got a problem." Takeru said eventually. "A team problem. We need to get everyone together. Something is attacking Hikari."

"Okay." Daisuke forced himself to get a tight grasp on his own concern, he needed to think clearly here. He grabbed his d-terminal. "Let's get emailing."

Once everyone was there they listened as Takeru told them about Hikari's problem with a dream monster that could apparently reach into the real world. Daisuke noticed that Ken paled as the story continued. By the time the story finished the former Kaiser looked positively scared.

"That place you described." Ken said when Takeru finished. "I think I've been there and I never want to go there again. But I've never seen the creature that she described."

"How did you get there?" Takeru asked curiously.

"I don't really remember much about it." Ken admitted. "I know that it was after my brother died and I received that strange email telling me to take his Digivice. Which was actually mine of course." He frowned in concentration. "I think that I was trying to get into the Digital World but I ended up in that dark place instead. It was there that my digivice turned black and became a D3 after I dipped it in the water." He shuddered. "The whole place is awash with dark energy."

"So she's probably not just dreaming." Daisuke sighed. He guessed that that had been a forlorn hope anyway. "It never rains but it pours."

"I have a theory." Koushiro announced.

"Already?" Taichi asked in an unsurprised tone.

"So what is it?" Daisuke asked.

"I think that this 'dark world' is similar in nature to this Digital World, that it is made of data, but at some point it fell to the Darkness." He looked thoughtful. "And whoever it is that currently rules that world is trying to spread that darkness to other worlds."

"Starting with the Digital World because it's the most similar." Ken's eyes widened and he nodded. "That makes sense."

"And it tried to use you to do it but what does it want with my sister?" Taichi asked.

"I'm not sure but it can't be good." Ken told him.

  


***

  


It was just after midnight when BlackTailmon climbed in through the open window of Hikari's bedroom. Neither the girl nor Tailmon woke up. She climbed up onto the bedside table, went over to the jug of water and tipped the contents of a small bottle into it. She gave Hikari one quick, worried glance before it left the same way it had come.

Minutes later Hikari woke from another nightmare. She just about avoided screaming but couldn't help giving a quiet yelp that awakened Tailmon instantly. The digimon tried to calm her partner but she was almost hysterical.

"He said that I'd be his. He said that the Light would desert me just when I needed it most." Hikari was weeping. "He said that I couldn't fight against my destiny and it would only cause me pain if I did."

"He's lying. You're the chosen child of Light. In a very real sense you are the Light. It can't abandon you and even if it could it wouldn't." Tailmon told her over and over again until the girl stopped crying. "Try and go back to sleep. We'll tell the others about this in the morning."

"I'll try but I don't know if I can." Weeping had made Hikari thirsty so she poured herself a glass of water and drained it before she lay back down. She shivered for awhile before she finally fell back into a troubled sleep.

  


***

  


"Did you manage to get any sleep?" Takeru frowned at Hikari as she slipped into her seat the next morning. She still looked really miserable and there were dark shadows under eyes.

"Some." She replied in a subdued tone as she attempted to unload her books one handed. "I kept on waking up…" She broke off as her books tumbled out of the bag to the floor. "Damn!"

"I'll get them." Takeru said as he knelt down and gathered them up. He placed them on her desk. "You had some more nightmares didn't you? Were they the same?"

"Yes. Well mostly. If anything they're beginning to get worse. The… thing… spoke more." He saw her shiver. "He said some strange things."

"We'll have to talk to the others after school." He told her firmly.

"Whatever." She said and he looked at her sharply. She was staring out of the window and it almost sounded like she didn't care one way or the other. He was about to ask her about it when Daisuke came and headed for his seat on the other side of Hikari.

"Good Morning, Hikari, Takeru." He nodded to them as he sat down. "How are things going?" Takeru expected Hikari to answer but she didn't even acknowledge Daisuke's greeting. She was never that rude. After a moment he frowned and replied.

"Hikari had some more nightmares… She says that they are getting worse. I think we should get everyone together after school. We need to deal with this quickly."

Daisuke looked concerned as he nodded. It seemed like he was about to say something more but just then the teacher entered the classroom and the day's lessons began.

 

.


	3. Chapter Two

They had intended to meet up in the computer lab but when they got there it was in use so they had ended up squeezing into Koushiro's room again. This time it was worse because all of the Chosen Children except Mimi were there.

Hikari was sitting in the corner looking like she'd rather be anywhere else. Every time someone spoke she winced as if it hurt her, she only spoke when she was spoken to and even then she was pretty short. Daisuke watched her worriedly. He could hardly believe that she was the same girl as a few days earlier. He desperately wanted to believe that she was just tired but somehow he couldn't. Looking around at the others he noticed that Ken looked as worried as he felt. The former Kaiser met his eyes briefly and Daisuke could almost hear the other boy's thoughts. Ken thought that there was something very seriously wrong with Hikari.

When the meeting started and Hikari had to tell them about her nightmares she seemed to brighten up a bit but he got the feeling that it was only because if she was speaking no one else was. Of course it didn't take her long to describe the strange things that had been happening to her and as soon as other people started discussing it he saw her close up again. The only voices that didn't seem to make her cringe belonged to Taichi, Tailmon and Takeru. He was so busy trying to figure out exactly what was wrong with her that he ignored most of what was being said. At least until Ken began to speak. That made him look up.

"It sounds like the Darkness is trying to … undermine her,” Ken said softly.

Daisuke didn't know how but he knew that the other boy had changed what he was going to say. He looked round quickly none of the others, with the possible exception of Hikari herself, seemed to have noticed the brief hesitation. She was staring at Ken thoughtfully.

"That's not really surprising if I understand this crest thing correctly,” Ken continued. “She's the Chosen Child of Light and that makes her the Dark's most dangerous enemy, potentially anyway."

Again Daisuke got the impression Ken wasn't saying everything that he was thinking. He also felt sure he knew what it was the other boy was skirting around. He wasn't sure how he knew what Ken was thinking but he had the feeling that it had something to do with the strange bond he had always sensed between them. When he was the Kaiser Ken had always gone after him first. The others had thought that it was just because he was the supposed leader of their group but Daisuke had felt that there was something more to it than that. After what had happened in the last few days he was sure of it. He still didn't know exactly what it was yet though.

"Daisuke, are you listening?" Taichi asked suddenly, making him jump.

"Sorry. I was thinking. Did I miss something?"

"Not really," Takeru replied. "I just suggested that she should ignore the voice or even better do the opposite of anything it suggested. It's about all we've got until we know what's going on. We're also going to make sure that she isn't left alone."

"That sounds sensible," he agreed. "Let's hope that it works."

"Is that all?" Hikari asked. "If it is shouldn't we get to the Digital World and knock down some more Towers?"

"The lab's in use." Koushiro reminded her.

"Why is that a problem?" Ken asked. "We have a computer right here."

"It doesn't…" Koushiro began then he blinked. "You mean we can open a port on any computer with a D3?"

"You didn't know?"

"So are we going?" Hikari asked.

  


***

  


Takeru was trailing along after Ken and Daisuke as they headed towards the area that they intended to clear today. He'd intended to pair up with Hikari but she had said that she wanted some space and fresh air and the Digital World had seemed a good place to get it. That's why she had suggested this trip in the first place. She'd insisted that Tailmon would be enough protection for her. He hadn't liked it but had agreed reluctantly. He chewed on his lip as he worried about her. Then he noticed that Daisuke and Ken were talking in a quiet tone and speeded up slightly. They had been exchanging some odd glances during the meeting and he wanted to know what they were saying. He was sure they suspected something that they weren't saying.

"I know what you didn't say." He heard Daisuke tell Ken. "Do you really think that it's that?"

"It's very possible. It fits the evidence and I recognise the symptoms."

"What can we do?"

"Apart from keep our eyes peeled and offer moral support? Not much. It really is her fight." Ken sighed. He sounded really unhappy about that. "Should we tell the others? It doesn't even seem to have occurred to them… though I think that Hikari suspects."

"We have to though I don't know if they'll believe us. I think you're right though. She was behaving strangely all day and I don't think that it was just tiredness."

Takeru was about to demand to know what they meant when they heard Hikari shriek near by. The three boys fought through the undergrowth and found her kneeling in a clearing. She was in tears and Tailmon was trying to comfort her without much success. Her digivice was lying on the ground close by. It looked like it had been thrown there. "Hikari? What happened?" He looked round and saw the other Chosen Children approaching.

"It's happening! It's really happening!" She hugged herself as she wept

Tailmon looked up from where she was trying to comfort her partner. "She tried to armour evolve me but couldn't access her Digimental. She tried it three times before she lost it and threw her digivice at a tree before collapsing." She looked more than a little panicked herself. "What's happening?"

Takeru frowned and shook his head. This couldn't be good. He picked up the D3 and placed it gently in Hikari's hand. "Concentrate on your inner light." He said softly. "And then try it again, please. For me. And try to believe it will work. Come on, Hikari, I believe in you."

She looked up at him. "Okay, I'll try it for you." She said finally but her face seemed oddly closed. She held up her D3 and the unnerving blankness was replaced by intense concentration. "Digimental up!"

This time it worked and everyone sighed in relief.

"There you see." Takeru said. "Everything's all right."

"No it's not." She replied. "I shouldn't have to fight to access my own Digimental. Why is this happening?”

"We'll find out." He reassured her. "And then we'll stop it."

The group was so focused on Hikari that no one noticed the two dark digimon sneaking off in opposite directions. The two creatures didn't even see each other.

  


***

  


"It's working, master." BlackTailmon bowed before the throne. "But she's incredibly strong. It took her four attempts and some help from the Child of Hope but she did manage to armour evolve my good sister eventually." She carefully hid how pleased that fact made her.

"That's only to be expected, my little one, if she wasn't strong she wouldn't be worth all the effort that I'm putting into her." He held out one clawed hand and an image of Hikari floated there. "Isn't she beautiful? She may resist but she will join her power to mine soon enough."

"I'm sure she will, master." She mouthed the platitude in a sincere tone as she bowed again even though she didn't mean a word of it. "For who can stand against your might?"

"So true, little one, so true. No one can stand against me! All those who fight me will pay." Her master chuckled. "But it's besides the point. You'll have to sneak in and dose her again tonight. What a fine weapon she'll be."

_Someone_ _did._ She added in her head. _Because you don't rule that world yet. And my Queen will_ _ensure you never do_ _and_ _once you are weakened by the effort_ _you will be doomed here as well._

  


***

  


_**Drip** _

Once again she found herself standing on the shore looking out across that strange, dark sea. She couldn't see him this time but she could hear his voice. It seemed to come from all directions as it whispered to her on the wind.

_**Drip** _

"Soon, Child of Light, very soon you will be mine."

_**Drip** _

"No!" she said. Her voice was firm but inside she knew that the denial was more of an attempt to convince herself than him. She lifted her chin. "You are my enemy."

_**Drip** _

"For now." He sounded amused and abruptly his voice had a direction. It was coming from behind her. "But for how long?"

_**Drip** _

She turned and sure enough he was standing there, towering over her. She looked up and forced herself to meet those glowing eyes. "I am on the side of good. You aren't. We will always be enemies."

_**Drip** _

He laughed a cold, hard laugh and shrank down to roughly human size. She found herself powerless to stop him as her reached down with one clawed hand and took hold of one of hers. He raised it to where his lips would be if she could see anything of his face other than those eyes. "We shall see, Child of Light, we shall see." He sounded amused by her defiance.

Hikari was hyperventilating as she sat bolt up right in bed and reached for the water by her bed.

"Did you have another nightmare, Hikari?" Her abrupt movement had obviously woken Tailmon up. Hikari nodded and then described the dream.

"I don't like this." Tailmon said when she finished. "Something is severely wrong here."

Her digimon was serious of course, the whole situation was but Hikari smiled in spite of her fear and tiredness."You mean you've only just noticed that?" She said dryly.

"Of course not. It's just … who the hell is he? And what does he want?"

Hikari took another sip of water. "Me I think. I'm not sure what for though but I'm scared, Tailmon. Whatever he'd doing to me seems to be working." She paused and bit her lip. "Look at what happened yesterday and I'm behaving strangely. Badly even.."

"You mustn't dwell on that. You mustn't let him get to you. I think that that's what's causing the trouble. You have to believe in yourself."

"I know that. It's just that that's easier said than done at the moment." Hikari finished her drink and lay back down. "I'd better try and sleep again." She took a breath. "I hope I don't have any more nightmares."

"Okay." Tailmon settled down as well.

  


***

  


Ken couldn't sleep. He paced the floor of his bedroom trying to decide how to explain his fears to the others. He was also trying to figure what had happened the previous afternoon.

"Ken-chan what's wrong?" Wormmon had been sleeping on Ken's pillow but his partner's restlessness had obviously woken him.

"I'm worried about Hikari," Ken said. "I don't understand what happened to her yesterday afternoon or why."

"You mean why she had trouble getting Tailmon to armour evolve?"

"Exactly. I never figured out a way to stop it. To be honest I never even came close. So I doubt that anyone else has. Anyway none of the others had any problems so it had to be a problem with her." He frowned and sat down on the bed. "The Digimentals are empowered by their holder aren't they? They have to have an abundance of the Digimental's particular trait to activate it?"

"Yes, that's right. It's similar to the crests but not as… absolute. A crest requires it to be your strongest trait to work or at least you can't have any trait stronger. In theory you could have another trait that's just as strong but that would be unusual. The Digimentals on the other hand just require the holder to be strong in the trait. That's why Daisuke can hold two Digimentals neither of which are for his strongest trait."

"So if Hikari is having trouble using her Digimental it means…" Ken trailed off.

"That she's having trouble accessing her own Inner Light. It's the same reason that I couldn't evolve until you found yourself again."

Found himself? Ken guessed that was accurate but that meant he was right. Damn. "I was afraid that you'd say that." Ken pulled his legs up and hugged his knees. "I just wish I knew why. It's not just the dreams. I'm sure of that. There's something else that is happening to her." Realisation dawned suddenly, making him gasp. "Is being done to her!" He grabbed his d-terminal. "I'd better email Daisuke."

"Now?" Wormmon asked. "Wouldn't the morning be better?"

"No, I'll do it now." Maybe he won't read it until the morning but I've got a feeling that he's awake."

  


***

  


Daisuke was indeed awake. He too was worrying about Hikari and when the email arrived he opened it immediately. Chibimon hopped up to his shoulder and read it too. He was just considering the content when there was a quiet tap on his door and Jun's head appeared.

"I noticed your light was on." She said quietly. "Is everything all right?" She leaned against the doorpost. "Can I come in?"

"Sure." He shrugged. It had only been days since she'd discovered he was a Chosen Child and Daisuke had already discovered a completely different side to his sister. A side he liked much more than the one he usually saw. "I just got an email from Ken."

"At two o'clock in the morning?" She asked as she shut the door. "Is there a problem? I can cover for you if you need to go somewhere."

"Thanks but it's not that easy." He shook his head. "I just wish it was. There is a problem but I'm afraid that it isn't going to be simple to fix."

"Would you like to talk about it?" she asked. "Sometimes a view from the outside helps to clarify things."

He considered her suggestion. It probably wasn't a bad idea. "Okay." He said finally. "But you can't talk about… He saw her expression and cringed. "Sorry, I'm making you out to be a gossip. I know that you know when to keep a secret." He apologised and was relieved to hear her chuckle.

"And don't you forget it, brat. I do understand how important this is. I promise I'll never discuss anything you tell me about this Digital World place with anyone who isn't a Chosen Child or whatever it's called."

"Thanks. You'd better sit down. This may take a little while to explain," he said.

She smiled again and sat down on the chair by his desk. As he explained what had been happening to Hikari and what he and Ken suspected he saw her expression become serious. When he finished she swung the chair idly from side to side as she considered what he'd said.

"You have to tell your friends everything that you two suspect… and soon. If someone is doing something to Hikari you need to find out what and stop it. Before they succeed in doing whatever it is they have planned. You're all important and can't afford to lose any of you to forces that might unbalance the Digital World. Remember what Koushiro told us about the various worlds being all tied up together when you were explaining to me about what was going on and why it was important. If bad things happen in the Digital World it'll screw up all the others including this one. It's up to you lot to stop it."

"Yeah. I know." He sighed. He just wished he knew how to tell them. "Any other wise advice?"

She seemed to consider for a moment. "Please always recycle? Don't forget to use sunscreen? That sort of thing?" She smiled impishly at him and he groaned.

"I meant about the situation." He sighed. "We need to know what we're up against. Which means we need to get it to tip its hand before it's ready."

"You're right but that might be dangerous, but then you already know that don't you?"

"I know." He smiled at her. "Thanks, Jun." He began to type a reply to Ken as she left to return to her room.


	4. Chapter Three

"Why do I get the feeling that people are talking about me behind my back?" Hikari asked rhetorically. She put her hands on her hips and surveyed the other Chosen Children. "I should have suspected something was going on when Taichi wasn't home."

It was Saturday and she had woken up that morning to find a message saying that there was a meeting in the Digital World at 10.30am. She'd arrived a few minutes early to find that everyone else was already there and they had fallen silent the moment she'd emerged from the gate.

"Hikari! You're early," Takeru said. The sound of his voice was enough to improve her mood slightly.

"So are all of you early too or is my guess that I was the subject of conversation correct?" No one spoke and she shook her head. "That's what I thought! I'll just leave then." She turned back towards the gate.

"If we didn't want you here we wouldn't have invited you. We just wanted to talk first." Ken said. She cringed because his voice went through her. It was like someone scraping their nails down a chalkboard. He apparently noticed this and frowned. "I think you're in great danger."

"I agree," Daisuke said. She resisted the urge to put her hands over her ears and scream at everyone to shut up as his voice hurt her as well.

"It does fit the available evidence," Koushiro agreed miserably. "I don't like it but it does."

"Especially after what happened yesterday," Iori said. He also looked very unhappy.

"Would someone like to tell _**me**_ what this theory is?" Hikari tried to keep her tone mild but was aware that she didn't really succeed.

"Ken thinks that there's more going on than these dreams. He thinks that the Dark is trying to corrupt you." Takeru said. She was relieved that it was him who told her. His and her brother's were the only voices was that didn't grate on her nerves at the moment. Well Tailmon's didn't either but her digimon had come with her and therefore couldn't explain. "He thinks that they are doing something to you."

She resisted saying something sarcastic about how obvious that was only because she knew that the urge came from the Darkness that she could sense growing inside her. Her instincts said that she mustn't indulge it if at all possible though that wasn't easy. Instead she just nodded. "I think so as well." She winced because even such a simple statement managed to come out with unintentional bite. The others gave her worried looks. "Sorry about that." She ground her teeth, took a deep breath and then described the previous night's dream.

"Well that settles it. This enemy is trying to corrupt her," Taichi growled. "I'll teach the dark to go after my baby sister."

  


***

  


Hikari was staring at her brother and trying not to laugh. "First we have to find out what we're up against." She said in a logical tone.

Takeru nodded. "We need to find out who this guy is."

"I've been thinking about that." Daisuke said. "I know we need to get him to tip his hand somehow but I can't think of anything."

"Me neither." Ken admitted. "The only thing we could do is dangerous. I don't think this enemy is going to show himself here until he's ready."

"Or in the real world." Koushiro agreed. "I think I know what you were thinking. Leaving aside the danger how could we get there?"

Ken sighed. "I think that I could open the gate … but really it's dangerous and I really don't want to go back there."

"Dangerous to Hikari or all of us?" Taichi asked.

"Mostly to Hikari at the moment, very probably to me as well and to a lesser extent to everyone." He shuddered. "That place … it sinks into your skin. Being exposed to that level of energy might make her worse and we don't know what might attack us there … or if I'd be able to get us back."

"Or if it might cause you to relapse," Iori finally spoke in a quiet voice. He looked very thoughtful. "May I make a suggestion?"

"Of course."

"Ken's idea is dangerous but that doesn't mean that it isn't a good idea. However the danger means that it should only be a last resort. Our first order of business should be not leaving Hikari alone."

"But we haven't been leaving her alone." Takeru protested. "At the very least Tailmon's been with her all the time."

"And I expect they were sleeping at the same time?" Ken asked suddenly.

"Exactly." Iori nodded.

"Y-yes." Hikari said. "W-we were. You think…?" Comprehension suddenly dawned in her eyes.

Both Ken and Iori nodded.

"Something is being done to you while you're asleep," Iori said.

"Watching me while I'm asleep is going to be difficult." She pointed out.

"I know. We should check out your room. If we can figure out what they are doing to you we might be able to stop it."

"Yes we might." Hikari said ungraciously putting the emphasis on the might. "But it's worth a try. Better than the other option. Let's go." As she turned back to the gate Takeru couldn't help wondering if the other suggestion she meant was going to the dark ocean or watching her while she was asleep.

  


***

  


"I don't see anything out of place." Hikari looked around her room. "Oh, Mom hasn't moved the jug yet." She headed towards the bedside table. For some reason she wanted to get the jug out of the room as quickly as possible. "I'll take it to the kitchen." She reached out with her good arm and blinked in surprise as Ken's hand closed on her wrist.

"That's it!" He was staring at the jug. "Can you feel it?"

Now that he asked she realized that she could. There was a cold, dark energy radiating from the pitcher. It wasn't as strong as the aura in her dreams but it was there.

"My water jug?" She whispered. "I don't understand … unless it's not the jug…"

"…But its contents," Ken finished for her. He lifted the jug carefully and tilted it so that the small amount of water left was visible. "Look." The water had an odd, grey tinge to it. Hikari narrowed her eyes as she realised something. Subconsciously she had been trying to remove the jug before anyone became aware of its significance.

"What does it mean?" Taichi asked as he looked at the water.

"Someone -- a digimon most likely -- has been sneaking in and spiking Hikari's water."

"What with?"

"Water from the World of Darkness I think. That would make sense because every time she took a drink she'd be absorbing its dark energy into her system."

"And the dreams have been making me thirsty!" Hikari added.

"That was probably deliberate. Whoever is doing this would want you to ingest as much of it as possible." He gave her a penetrating look. "How hard is it for you to resist at the moment?"

"Do you want the list?" she asked, unable at that moment to bite back the sarcasm. She was surprised when he just nodded. "Okay. I keep having to resist the urge to be sarcastic. I'm not always successful at that."

"I noticed." He smiled wryly. "What else?"

"Well, with the exception of Tailmon, Taichi and Takeru, everyone's voices are going through me like a dentist's drill. If anyone gets too loud I have this urge to strangle them." She paused. "And I think I was trying to get the jug out of here before anyone realised its significance. It wasn't conscious but I'm pretty sure that was what I was doing."

"I guessed that." Ken had lowered his voice slightly. Not so much that the others couldn't hear him but enough to lessen the impact of his voice on her frayed nerves. "Anything else?"

"I'm not sure." She gave him a grateful nod. "It's hard to judge your own behaviour objectively. I think I'm getting more irritable and may be a little paranoid. I definitely assumed the worst when I found you all in the Digital World earlier."

"What did you assume?" Takeru asked and she smiled at him. At least she tried to but she wasn't sure she was successful.

"That you were discussing how to neutralise me if I did become corrupted or possibly what to do if you decided I was too far gone to save but hadn't actually fallen yet." She sighed. "I know it was a stupid thing to think… wasn't it?"

"Of course it was." Takeru reassured her. "You won't be corrupted, Hikari. I have faith in you."

"I feel like I'm drowning, Takeru." She told him helplessly as she met his eyes so that he could see her fear and confusion. "I think that perhaps you should put a contingency plan in place. You might believe in me but I'm not sure that I do any more."

Takeru reached out and gave her a gentle shake. "You have to believe in yourself," he said in a firm tone. "That's the most important thing of all."

"I'm trying. I really am but it's so hard."

"We have to protect my sister." Taichi said. He was also speaking quietly even though she'd said that his voice didn't go through her. "If we can keep them away from her the effects will wear off… won't they?"

"Hopefully… Probably… I don't know for sure but it is likely that they will." Ken told him. "We're not exactly sure how it's affecting her… just what the symptoms are. That makes it hard to treat. In the end she's the only one who can save herself."

"A sleepover!" Miyako said suddenly. Her voice wasn't subdued and Hikari winced. "Sorry." She said more quietly. "If Sora and I can find excuse to stay with Hikari we can take it in turns to watch for interlopers."

"That's a good suggestion." Ken agreed. "I'm sure you can come up with something."

"I don't think Mom'll mind. She's been worried about me seeming depressed so she'll hope it'll cheer me up." She looked over at Miyako. "I think we should have it at your place. That might confuse them. Your parents won't mind will they?"

Miyako shook her head. "I doubt it. If it does I'll talk them round."

"Okay, I'll see you tonight." Hikari managed to smile but she guessed it was obviously faked. She really didn't want to be around people at the moment but she was sure that this was the only thing to do.

  


***

  


"If I can't dose her will it wear off?" Black Tailmon asked her master. They had been watching the events in Hikari's bedroom via a bug that the digimon had planted the previous night.

She's a fighter so it might." Her master was tapping his claws thoughtfully on the arm of his throne. "We'll just have to move the time table up by a couple of days. We'll do it tonight. Ripping out of their arms will show the other Chosen Children just how powerless they are against me." He chuckled. "Make the preparations."

"As you wish, master." She bowed and went to do has he had bidden her even as she hoped they would find a way to stop him.

_Don't worry, daughter,_ her queen said in her head.  _I suspect his reach has exceeded his grasp with the Child of Light. I have plans to make sure it is so. This should be interesting._


	5. Chapter Four

_I wish I had some earplugs._ Hikari thought to herself. She was sitting on the Inoue's sofa with her legs tucked under her. She was desperately wishing that she didn't have to be here. When she'd suggested that they hold the sleepover at Miyako's place she hadn't realised that she would have to put up with her friend's two older sisters jabbering at her in an attempt to find out about their sister's friend. Sora was an acquaintance, albeit not a close one, of the middle sister, Chizru, so she hadn't been subjected to quite as many questions. She was trying to look interested in what they were saying but found it difficult when the conversation was so inane. Or was it? When she stopped to think about it she realised that less than a week ago she would have enjoyed a nice light conversation like this. This must be another symptom of the Dark's effect on her. _Damn, this really is insidious._

"Are you feeling okay, Miss Yagami?" Miyako's sister Momoe asked suddenly. She frowned and looked concerned. "You seem a bit tense. Miyako said that you'd had a rough few days and were a bit depressed. I know how that can be. If we're getting on you nerves just say. She wants to cheer you up so you can choose what we do tonight. Games, music or whatever."

"That's nice of you. Thank you." The older girl's concern and sincerity was so obvious that Hikari managed a genuine smile of gratitude. "I'm just on edge and it making me irritable."

"Girls!" Mrs Inoue called from the dining room. "Dinner's nearly ready! Don't forget to wash your hands."

  


***

  


After dinner it was Miyako's turn to wash up so Hikari found herself helping the older girls go through Momoe's CD collection looking for some music that wouldn't irritate her. She was surprised to find that along side an extensive rock and pop collection that included some import only albums the girl owned a large collection of both traditional Japanese and western classical music. The only other person she knew who had such a wide-ranging collection was Yamato. Takeru said his brother listened to it for inspiration.

"This is quite a varied collection." She noted as she looked at a CD of Wagnar's Ring Cycle.

"My taste in music is pretty eclectic." The older girl conceded as she took the CD off Hikari. "Would you like to listen to this? I like Wagnar but it isn't exactly soothing music. Rather the opposite in fact."

"I know. I heard 'Ride of the Valkyries' from this on the radio once. It's very … lively. I'm not really familiar with western classical music."

"Not many people are," Momoe agreed. "Some of Chopin's stuff is quite soothing. Would you like to hear some?"

Hikari considered this and discovered that she was curious. "Yes, please."

Momoe flipped through her collection, grabbed a CD, popped it into her player and selected a track. Soft music filled her room.

"That's beautiful." Hikari leaned back into the cushions with a soft sigh and closed her eyes. "I don't think that I've ever heard anything quite like it."

"It's called a Nocturne. I believe that it's supposed to be night music so this is the right time to listen to it. This one's by Chopin. He wrote quite a few." Momoe told her. "Looks like you like it. Is it helping with your stress? I think music is one of the most powerful weapons that life gives us to combat the world."

Hikari opened her eyes and regarded Momoe thoughtfully. "That's an odd thing to say. What do you mean by it? How can music be a weapon?"

Momoe seemed to be lost in thought for a moment as she considered her reply. "What I mean is that sometimes life seems to be a constant battle between us and the world which tries to grind the life out of us. Music can have a profound effect on mood. It can fee us from the constraints that bind…" Momoe broke off. "Sorry you don't need a philosophy lecture. What I mean is if you're depressed and music helps snap you out of it then it's a weapon. Just like medicine is against disease."

"Oh." Hikari thought about it. It did make sense. Her mood was much improved and she could even tolerate people talking. Indeed she'd felt well enough to initiate this conversation. "I understand." She looked round and smiled as Miyako came in.

"Oh no!" The purple haired girl looked horrified. "Is my sister inflicting her weird taste in music on you?"

"It's not weird. A little unusual maybe but not weird. I was curious so I asked her to play it." Hikari frowned at Miyako. "And as it happens I like it - a lot. It's very soft and pleasant."

"Now I know that there really is something seriously wrong with you. How can anyone normal like something like that? It's so boring!"

"I find it relaxing!" Hikari countered. She hadn't realised Miyako could be so tiresome. "And goodness knows I need to relax."

"It's not really that bad, Miyako." Sora looked up from her homework. "Everyone has different tastes. Leave them alone."

"But I really hate this type of music." Miyako protested in a tone that made Hikari want to scream. "It's so booooooooring." She repeated her earlier comment in such a sharp tone that for a moment Hikari wondered if the dark was trying to corrupt her friend as well. Then Momoe laughed.

"Sorry, I should have warned you. This type of music is one of the few things that can actually make Miyako's hair fall out. Sometimes I play it just to annoy her."

"Turn it off, please," Miyako said. "Play something else."

Sora closed her book and rose to her feet with a sigh. "As I recall this entire evening is for Hikari's benefit. To help her get over her bad mood. If this music is helping her relax then the least you can do is put up with it. I think you're being very selfish."

Miyako opened her mouth to retort then paused and hung her head. "I'm sorry, Sora, you're right." She looked over as Hikari. "Listen to whatever you want."

Hikari stopped herself from saying that she intended to and tried to smile. It didn't work. Given the face she must be pulling she was glad Momoe was behind her. "Thank you." That came out rather short and she winced. "I do mean that by the way."

"I know," Miyako said. "Can I get you anything?"

"No thank you." Hikari wasn't sure that the way everyone was jumping to her merest whim was a good thing. It felt far too good like something she deserved. That had to come from the Darkness. She wasn't sure what she could do though. She had encountered Miyako's taste in music before and listening to la-la pop music would probably drive her into a homicidal rage at the moment.

  


***

  


Later that night Miyako and Sora watched the sleeping Hikari worriedly. "Did you notice her strange behaviour?"

"Hmmm. It was a bit bizarre at times but not something you'd notice if you didn't know her," Sora agreed. "Your little outburst about her musical tastes didn't help though. I really thought that she was going to strangle you when you started whining."

"I'm sorry about that. Momoe wasn't joking when she said that she has this tendency to play that sort of music just to annoy me. I initially thought Hikari was just being polite about it."

"Couldn't you see how relaxed she was?" Sora frowned. "Well she was until you started… and after you shut up anyway."

"I know," Miyako said. “I can be a bit _selfish_ at times, can't I?” For some reason that admission made her eyes sparkle with amusement.

“I'm not sure that's something to look so pleased about.” Sora frowned at her for a moment before deciding to change the subject. Hikari's problems came first at the moment after all. "So who's taking first watch?"

They both looked over to where Hikari lay. Tailmon was curled up on the pillow by her partner's head. She was purring softly in her sleep.

Miyako laughed. "Well it's obvious who it isn't."

Sora smiled as well. "I guess that I'll do it. You get some sleep and I'll email a status report to the others. I'll wake you up in three hours if nothing happens sooner."

"At least she hasn't had any nightmares so far." Miyako noted before settling down and going to sleep.

  


***

  


It was nearly two hours later when Hikari groaned in her sleep and began thrashing around. Sora hurried to her side and shook her gently but the Child of Light remained asleep. She bit her lip and looked at Tailmon was also shaking Hikari gently but to no avail.

"What's happening?"

Sora glanced around and saw Miyako disentangling herself from her bedding.

"She's having a nightmare and we can't wake her up." Sora said.

"That's not all! Look at her hands!" Tailmon sounded really panicked. Sora did as the Digimon said and gasped. Hikari was still in near convulsions and her hands and feet looked sort of fuzzy at the edges as if she was turning into digital static. The fuzziness was gradually spreading as well.

"What can I do?" Miyako asked. She also sounded a bit panicked. “We can't call an ambulance, not with that to explain.”

"Email the others," Sora said. "Tell them what's happening."

Miyako nodded and began typing furiously. By the time she finished Hikari had stopped twitching but the static was still spreading. She looked like she was about to say something when Hikari woke up with a start.

"Hikari," Tailmon whispered. "What's happening to you?"

"I'm… I'm… being dragged to the Dark Ocean." Hikari's voice sounded like she was speaking from a long way away. "Help me, please. The room is fading and I can see it appearing. He's waiting for me. He won't let me go without a fight."

"Neither will we," Tailmon said in a determined tone. She turned to Sora. "Get her digivice and d-terminal from her bag for her. That way at least I can go with her and maybe they'll work there." She paused then added. "Ken will have to open that gate now."

Miyako typed another email quickly as Sora complied. Hikari was more than half transformed but somehow managed to take the items. Tailmon leapt into her arms.

"Taichi, Ken and Daisuke have replied. The others must all be asleep," Miyako said.

"At 1 o'clock in the morning. Go figure!" Hikari's voice was barely audible now. "I'm really sorry but I can't resist this any more…" She turned totally to static and then faded slowly taking Tailmon with her.

Miyako and Sora looked at each other helplessly and both heard the cold, mocking voice that sing-songed, "Mine now, all mine."

  


***

  


At that very moment, elsewhere in the same building, Takeru jerked awake. The sudden movement woke Patamon as well.

"Takeru, what's wrong?" he asked.

"It's Hikari. She's gone! We've lost her."


	6. Chapter Five

"Are you sure? Maybe it was just a bad dream?" Patamon asked as Takeru checked his emails. He wished that he could believe his digimon's suggestion but he knew it was real. Two panicked emails from Miyako soon proved that his intuition had been correct.

"It wasn't just a dream. Look!" He pointed to the screen. "Even not leaving her alone didn't help." Takeru could feel his shoulders shaking as he tried to hold back sobs. "We failed her, Patamon! I failed her. I was supposed to protect her and I couldn't."

"Breaking down isn't going to help her, Takeru." Patamon told him. "You'll have to be calm if we are going to figure out to rescue her."

"At least Tailmon is with her." Takeru took some small comfort from that because in the dreams Hikari had always been alone. "But how long can she hold out for? She's almost certainly in that Dark World and we've seen how the energy of that place effects her even in small doses. I know that she'll fight as hard as she can but she isn't invincible. No one is." As he spoke Takeru sent an email to the others saying much the same thing and telling them that he'd somehow known when she was taken. Then he closed his d-terminal and told his digimon what he hadn't put in the email. "I don't know if I could bear it if she was turned against us.."

An email from Ken cut their conversation short. The message suggested that they would all have to cut school the next day and meet in the Digital World just as soon as everyone was awake. Takeru sent an email expressing his agreement and then called Yamato's mobile phone. His brother was not happy at be woken in the small hours but when he heard the news he stopped grumbling and said that he'd contact Koushiro and Jyou.

That just left Iori. Takeru knew the younger boy's bedroom was directly above his own. He climbed on his bed and knocked quietly on the ceiling three times and prayed that Iori, and only Iori, heard. He was rewarded by a startled bump as Iori jumped out of bed. He was certain the boy would figure it was a wake up call and moments later he got an "I'm up!" email.

Now everyone was awake he wrote a quick note in case he wasn't back by the time his mother got up, turned on his computer and opened a gate.

***

"Is this the place from your dreams, Hikari?" Tailmon asked in a subdued tone. Hikari glanced down at her and nodded. "No wonder it scares you."

"It's even more unpleasant in reality." She pointed to the lighthouse, though that was probably the wrong word given the nature of the beam. "Look at that. Even the light is black." She sat down on a rock. "At least you're with me this time. That's a definite improvement over the dreams."

"It is ugly." Tailmon agreed. "But it's not the appearance that freaks me out. Looks can be deceiving. It's the atmosphere. It matches the looks perfectly. I can feel the evil. This place… it makes Vamdemon's aura seem aura seem like sweetness and light."

"I can feel that as well, Tailmon. It's seeping into me and I can't stop it. I don't know what to do."

"See if you can send an email to the others." The digimon suggested. "Maybe you'll be able to get a message through. We need to keep in contact with them if we can."

"Very practical, Tailmon." Hikari smiled at her partner and began to type. She decided to be brutally honest about what she thought her chances of holding out were. The others had to be warned. Once she was satisfied she sent the message and hoped it would get through. “I just hope they listen to me, I don't want to doom them too.”

"It's not as if you are going to die, Hikari." Tailmon told her. "That's never been the danger."

"In this case I'll be as good as dead." Hikari sighed.

"Possibly not." Tailmon conceded. "But you mustn't give up hope."

"I know." Hikari glanced around again. "We're being watched by something. Several somethings in fact. I can't see them but I can feel them. And where is he? He'd always spoken by now in my dreams. What is he waiting for? It's creeping me out."

"Ah, but you aren't dreaming this time." It was the mocking voice from her dream but she detected something in its tone that had never been there in her dreams… uncertainty. She turned towards it but no one was there. "So impatient to meet me, my Hikari?" The voice was amused but the uncertainty was still there. Somehow she knew that things weren't going quite as it had planned.

"I am not your Hikari!" She spat. A cold determination took hold of her. "Whatever I may become I will never be your anything … except your enemy of course!" She lifted her chin proudly. She could feel the darkness gathering within her as well as around her but wasn't sure that she cared any more. They felt different and maybe her own Darkness could fight him and the darkness of this world where her Light had failed her. "If you need me to fulfil you plans you obviously don't deserve my help. I must be better than you!"

 _Be careful, Chosen Child._ A voice that she didn't know sounded in her head. _Dagomon is trying to trick you into letting_ _the_ _Darkness control you. There is another way and I think that you are strong enough to do it._

 _That guy's called Dagomon then? Who are you? What's this other option? I don't think I can stay with the Light at the moment,_ she asked inside her head sure the other would hear her.

_He is at the moment. Sometimes he wears another – stronger – form but he is limited in that. As to myself I'll tell you later. And I know that but I think you are strong enough to control your own Darkness instead of it or indeed his controlling you. That's a rare gift._

_Gift?_ She asked incredulously. _You call it a gift? And I don't trust you… I can sense you. You're Dark as well._

_That is true and it is good that you don't trust me. It shows that you are wise. I have always disliked dealing with the foolish. But what I am about to tell you, you can test for yourself. Your crest hold a secret, all the current crests hold a secret. Homeostasis is obsessed with balance at any cost. You and your friends were chosen not just because you potentially epitomise the trait that it represents but because you also hold within yourselves a deep core of the opposite trait. Break your crest - as Dagomon - wishes you to do and that aspect of yourself will overwhelm you._

_Like it did Ken?_ Hikari asked.

_And the Child of Friendship when he attacked your brother, and your brother when he created Skull Greymon. There is another path though, accept yourself and you can transform your crest rather than break it and use it to drive out Dagomon's darkness. It is needed too... Homeostasis definition of balance is poisoning the Harmony of the digital world. We need a champion who can show that there is a better way. But as I said, test it, Child of Light. Look into the still untouched heart of your own light and see what you find._

Hikari hesitated only a moment before doing just that. She closed her eyes and mentally summoned her own light. It seemed weak and flickering but it's heart was still untainted. She reached for it and it split apart opening like a cherry blossom to reveal a dark green pearl at it's heart. And that too was hers, untouched, untainted, dark yet in no wise evil that she could sense. This wasn't the darkness of Vamdemon, or the Dark Masters or anything like that. This was the darkness of safe hiding places, of clear moonless summer nights when the stars shone brightest, of the mother's womb. It felt warm. It felt safe. Trustworthy or not her interlocutioner was being truthful about this at least. She imagined cupping dark pearl in her hands and pushing it into her heart.

A shocked cry from Dagomon made her open her eyes to discover she was surrounded by green flames the same shade as the pearl which formed the shape of the Crest of Light on the ground around her. As she watched the circle at the heart of crest grew outwards and the petals turned through 180 degrees to point inwards instead of out until it was an inversion of the original crest. As the flames licked her skin without burning her she felt the Dark Ocean water evaporate from within her and looked up at Dagomon with a smirk. Apparently her psychic gifts worked just as well – if not better - when powered by her Darkness as her Light because she could sense his sudden fear. Interesting and useful

"What's the matter, Dagomon?" she asked mockingly. "Speechless?" She was aware that Tailmon was staring at her with borderline terror and gave her partner a quick, reassuring smile.

"You can't stop me, girl." Dagomon's threat might have been scarier if he hadn't sounded like he wasn't sure what the hell was going on. "You will be my tool to spread darkness to the Digital and Human worlds and you will be my bride…"

"Your bride?" Hikari laughed incredulously. "You really are a slave of the bad horror movie cliché aren't you? I wouldn't marry you if you were the last quasi-humanoid male in the multiverse. I'm really not turned on by tentacles… and somehow I just know that you're the sort of guy to have tentacles." She glanced down as her d-terminal pinged. "Now if you'll excuse me. I've got mail."

***

"Is something wrong, master?" Black Tailmon asked respectfully. She was pretty sure that there was given the fact that Dagomon was swearing sulphurously. "Can I help?" Something must have gone really wrong with his plan, she realised somewhat smugly, for him to be this angry.

"I underestimated the girl." He growled. "She has accepted the Dark and yet still she scorns me."

She looked up at her master in feigned confusion. "How is that possible? You are the master of the dark. How can she accept it and not you?"

Dagomon turned his glowing eyes upon his servant. "I don't know, little one, I just don't know. I'm the Master of this World. The one who twisted it. Its darkness comes from me and returns to me. The only way she should be able to resist me is if her Darkness comes from elsewhere but we know that's not true. She was Light and we were the ones who Darkened her. Anyway even if the Darkness of the Digital World had found a way into her heart I was the pioneer of the Darkness there as well before the first Chosen Children came and drove me back to here."

"Not all of it." Black Tailmon bowed her head. Even with a respectful tone she risked his anger by speaking of this and if he ever suspected that this World had another, purer, source of darkness and that she served it she'd be a dead cat. So she copped out. "Your siblings created some of it."

"And they are gone. I should be able to control their legacies. Though Lilithmon's Children seemed determined to evade me… a problem I am working on. There's something else. Stop dancing around the subject."

Black Tailmon hesitated. Perhaps part of the truth wouldn't get her killed. “There are legends in that world. They say there was a time when there was only one Virus in the entire Digital World. That he was the Darkness that had to exist so that there could be Light. I never believed it for if it was true then what of here." That last bit was a direct lie but he seemed to believe her.

"That's interesting, Little One. Could the Digital World have its own innate darkness? I have never thought so." He did not sound angry, just thoughtful. "But I suppose anything is possible. After all there are still a few Vaccines running around here and one of the Holy Beasts is a Virus type."

"So what are you going to do about her?" She asked, relieved that he believed what she had said about not believing the tales.

"I'll break her if I have to but I think that once she realizes that she can't resist me she'll come to her senses. I just wish I knew how she managed to bring her digimon with her."

"My sister is here?" she asked in surprise, she couldn't remember the last time there had been a vaccine Tailmon here and even though this one was alien to this world and not truly one of her sisters the thought was strangely comforting. All the same she had better act scared. "What the hell! This means trouble. It really does."

"Calm down. The little white cat is ringless and can't evolve. She'll be too weak to do anything except offer moral support. Not that that isn't damaging enough. I can't believe that she actually talked back to me!"

"Tailmon?"

"No, Hikari. I'd expect the pathetic little vaccine to talk back." He rose and strode to the communication device. "She seemed totally unafraid of me. I'll have to correct that." He mused. "I think that I'll have her brought here. There's no reason to risk everything by meeting her just anywhere when I can have her here at the heart of my power." He made a gesture and the panel lit up. "Take a detachment and go and fetch me the human girl. Ensure the digimon and digivice are left behind and don't bother being too gentle with her. She deserves punishing for her resistance."

"It will be as you command, master." A voice replied from the panel. He turned back to her.

"Go to the Digital World and observe the Chosen Children. Somehow they are getting email through my barrier and I want to know how."

"I will." She bowed and he opened a gate to the Digital World.

***

"Apparently my email only got through to Ken." Hikari said. A sudden rainstorm had forced Tailmon and her to take shelter in a tunnel the only light was the screen of her d-terminal. "He thinks that it's because his dark D3 gives him some sort of link to here."

"That does sound like a reasonable explanation, mistress." Tailmon said in a nervous tone of voice. "Are you going to reply?"

Hikari froze and looked down at her digimon. "What did you just call me? No, don't answer that - just tell me why you called me that?" She met her partner's eyes and saw more than a little fear there.

"I - you - I…" The digimon began. "Dark… you… upset… "

"Tailmon, please try and talk coherently." Hikari gave her partner a gentle smile. "Try deep breathing."

"You've changed." Tailmon said finally. "I felt it happen. I saw it happen. I know you've turned to the Dark even if you don't. I-I didn't want to make you angry."

"I do know. I went to the only place in myself that had the power I needed to fight him, Tailmon-chan," Hikari said softly. "Are you going to leave me?"

"Never!" Shock replaced fear in Tailmon's eyes and voice. "I'm your digimon, mistress. Wherever you go I'll follow you. Whatever you do I'll support you -- even if I don't approve. You'll have to put up with me I'm afraid."

"What's to put up with?" Hikari kept her tone mild. "And please stop calling me mistress. Does what you just said sound like the actions of a servant -- let alone a slave? I'll understand if you don't feel you can call me Hikari anymore in the circumstances but I'm not and never will be your mistress."

"Do you really mean that, Hikari?" Tailmon looked up at her hopefully.

"Of course I do." Hikari confirmed. "The one person I'm definitely not going to turn against is my best friend. That's a promise. I'm not sure where all this is going to end up but you may soon be the only friend I have left and to answer your question yes I am going to reply." She began to type an email to Ken.

"Are you going to tell them what happened?" Tailmon asked.

"Yes. They deserve to know. I don't know how they'll react or what they'll do about it but I am going to tell them. Plus some of what she told me is important whichever way you look at it."

"They won't abandon you either. They might fight you at some point but they'll never give up on you. But who is she?" Tailmon looked at the screen. "Someone spoke to you in your head?"

Hikari nodded as she sent the email. "I don't know who but she did."

"That would be me,” someone said from behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Argh! Sorry about this taking so long. Life's been hectic.


	7. Chapter Six

As Ken read Hikari's reply his frown grew.

"What does she say? Is she okay?" Taichi asked impatiently. Ken sighed and turned the d-terminal over to him. He scanned the message and began to frown as well. "Oh dear." His tone made the others crowd round to read it. After everyone had absorbed it contents they all sat in silence for a few moments.

"She's so… matter of fact about it." Miyako said finally.

"That's what scares me most about the whole message." Taichi agreed. "How can she be so calm about the fact that she's falling so fast?"

"She doesn't really have much choice." Daisuke said mildly. The others stared at him. "She's trapped by the situation she's in and panicking is not going to help her. It would probably make things worse."

"Darkness can wear many faces." Iori sounded thoughtful. "At least Hikari's seems more civilised than most peoples and she's not without honour." The youngest chosen child shivered. "That's why she says so bluntly that it would be better for us not to rescue her because even if we succeed she will probably be our enemy."

"I don't care what she says." Taichi clenched his fists. "We have to go after her. My sister is not going to become anyone's brood mare." He looked around and everyone nodded.

"I agree." Iori said then looked at Ken. "It's time to try that last resort."

Ken nodded and lifted his digivice. He just hoped that this worked.

\-----

Tailmon put herself between Hiikari and the speaker, a giant blue fox with nine tails which ended in blazing red flames, before it could attack even though Hikari was certain that was not an immediate danger.

"Stand down, Tailmon," Hikari said softly. "She may not be a friend but she wants something from us so she won't attack." She brought up her D-Terminal and checked the digimon's information. "Youkomon, Adult, Bewitching Beast... Data Type." She raised her eyebrows. "I was expecting a virus."

"Yes, I expect that you were. Not all Dark digimon are Viruses just as not all Light ones are Vaccines."

"Fair comment," Hikari said. "Why did you help me?"

Youkomon chuckled at the question. "Honestly? I take any chance I can to tweak Dagomon's nose... or I would if he actually had a nose.”

"That's all?" Hikari leant against the cave wall. She would have folded her arms but the plaster cast made that difficult. "I am not sure that I believe you."

"Well, yes and no," Youkomon said. "I would have helped you just to annoy him, but there is more. This was a beautiful world once and look what he's done to it! You are the best chance to defeat and drive him out I've seen in a long time. If you agree to help me save this world from him I will help you save both your worlds from him too."

"I think she's telling the truth, Hikari," Tailmon sounded confused. "I don't understand why I think that but I do."

"I do too," Hikari said. She eyed Youkomon suspiciously. "I don't know if you're trustworthy but I will give you chance to prove yourself. Help me escape this world and then we can discuss terms for any help going forwards."

Youkomon's ears flicked at that and Hikari got the sense that she was listening to someone.

"That is more than fair," she said after a moment. "I will help you escape and then we can talk."

"Who were you talking to?" Hikari demanded.

"Forgive me if I do not say," she replied. "I have to earn your trust but you also need to earn mine before I tell you of my companions. Suffice for now that there is a resistance and I am part of it."

"Very well, so how do we escape?"

"There's a gate to the Digital World but I lack the power to break Dagomon's hold and escape through it Or I could but I couldn't reseal it afterwards which would allow Dagomon to attack."

"And you believe that I could?" Hikari said. "Both open and reseal it that is."

"I do, any chosen child could but you are the one that is here and you need to get out of here too."

“I do.” Hikari glanced around and shuddered. This world was still making her feel physically ill. "Who could like a place like this? It just feels wrong."

"It is wrong. It's out of harmony.”

“Harmony?” Hikari asked. “Balance?”

Youkomon shook her head. “While Balance can be Harmonic, it is not always the case. The scales of light and dark do not need to be perfectly balanced for harmony to be achieved and a forced balance can be disharmonic. Indeed this was the World of Light once and still should be. It was a foolish attempt to force it into balance that created what you see and corrupted its current ruler irrevocably.”

“Dagomon?” Hikari asked. “How can he like this?”

“Yes, him. And he doesn't like it. He hates it with a passion. This place is born of his pain. He was sent here to balance this place and the wrongness of the task broke him. Now he wants to taint everywhere else as well. Not because he likes it but because…"

"Misery loves company?" Tailmon suggested.

“Exactly.”

Hikari would have responded but the feeling of wrongness to this weird place suddenly intensified behind her and turned in time to dodge the two frog-like creatures that tried to grab her. She could see more of them pouring in through the entrance. Dagomon, it seemed, had sent a virtual army after her. Tailmon leapt to her defence, of course, fighting her way to her partner's side with a ferocity that deleted half a dozen of her assailants. Hikari was trying to fight as well. She kicked and punched at the creatures but she had no formal fighting training and the effect of their presence was actually making her heave. All too soon she found herself collapsing to her knees and trying to crawl out of the way. Glancing round she saw that Youkomon had joined the fray beside Tailmon.

"What are they?" Tailmon asked as she felled another of the strange creatures.

"They look like Hangyomon ." Youkomon supplied. "But that's not their true form. They are the shadowy remains of digimon who fell into this world from your digital world and were captured by Dagomon. He used them as foot soldiers. He mostly sends them against the few vaccines that are left in this world." As she spoke her fireballs slammed into several of them and they disintegrated. "These are supposed to be Perfects? Not exactly convincing fakes given how weak they are?"

"Not convincing but there are so many of them." Tailmon had felled at least two dozen of the fake Hangyomon but their ranks didn't seem significantly thinned. Hikari could see that the sheer number of opponents was gradually overwhelming the two Adult digimon.

"Tailmon!" she yelled fearfully as she clutched her useless digivice tightly. There was nothing she could do to help her partner… or was there? Hikari pulled away from another two would be captors and risked closing her eyes. She reached inside herself for the darkness she had sensed within her when she drove Dagomon off. Unlike that all around her it still felt warm and comfortable like it belonged to her and using it seemed to come as naturally as using her Light had. She pulled on it instinctively and something happened. As she began to black out she heard Tailmon's voice.

"Tailmon evolve to… Shadow Angewomon."

"Shadow Angewomon?" She managed to say before passing out. Inside her head the darkness was warm and teeming with possibilities.

\---

Ken collapsed to his knees as he arrived at the Dark Ocean. It wasn't a smooth landing and he soon found himself being squashed under the others. After they had disentangled themselves they all looked around.

"Ugh." Miyako said quietly. "This place is even uglier than your old base, Ken." She shuddered. "How can anything live here?"

"The evil is absolutely palpable isn't it?" Takeru agreed in an equally subdued tone. The others nodded except for Daisuke who had a determined expression on his face.

"She mentioned a cave and I can only see one." He pointed towards the cliffs. "So that should be a good place to start. Come on." As he headed towards it Ken stared at him in disbelief.

"Daisuke, can't you feel it?" He asked.

"Of course I can!" The red haired boy replied. "All the more reason to get in and out of this place as soon as possible." He adjusted the goggles on his head. "How are you doing? Is it getting to you?"

Ken considered the question as he climbed up after Daisuke. He could feel the prickling in the back of his neck that over the last few days he had already begun to associate with the Dark trying to influence him again but it was nothing that he couldn't handle, for now anyway. "It's trying to get in to my head but I'm holding my own. Don't worry you'll get warning if I'm going to revert. If nothing else you'll see me holding the back of my neck and quite possibly screaming."

"Your neck?" Daisuke asked in an odd tone of voice. "I'm sure that I should remember something about your neck." He frowned and shook his head. "Never mind… I'll chase it down later. Still that's just more reason to get out of here as soon as we can."

"That's true." Ken said hesitantly. Now that Daisuke mentioned it he had some vague memory of something happening to his neck as well. He paused at the entrance of the cave and all thoughts of the past vanished. "It looks like we've walked into a fight."

"I see what you mean." Daisuke agreed as the others came up behind them. “That kitsune digimon must be who was talking to her.”

"Yes, but who's that?" Yamato asked. He pointed to the Dark haired, raven winged angel digimon fighting along side Youkomon. If you ignored the green glowing eyes visible beneath her helmet and the black colours of her clothing she would be Angewomon's twin. "Was that Tailmon at some point?"

"That's Shadow Angewomon." Tentomon confirmed. "She's one of Tailmon's darkened evolutions."

As the last of the attackers fled the two digimon left in the cave turned to the Chosen Children. Shadow Angewomon knelt down and lifted an unconscious Hikari into her arms.

"Would either of you like to tell me what's going on?" Daisuke asked.

"I'm not sure that I want to know." Taichi had gone pale.

"She fainted." Shadow Angewomon offered.

\---

Black Tailmon knew that something else had gone wrong for him as soon as she returned. Dagomon had gone beyond his earlier cold rage into a fiery rage that she had never seen before. His recent strange moods made her uncertain -- visible emotion was not something she associated with him and this unpredictability endangered her mission.

"Master?" She asked nervously. She was certain that he wouldn't think twice about taking his anger out on her at the moment. He whirled and looked at her.

"Oh, it's you! For your sake I hope you can tell me how the Chosen Children managed to get here?"

"The Child of Kindness opened a gate. I don't know how but only he could do it. It was also him who was receiving her emails and getting emails through to her. The others couldn't."

"Oh, I see," Dagomon growled but he seemed satisfied with her answer. “ That boy is becoming a menace!”

"Is that why you're so angry?" she risked asking. He shook his head.

"Now that's just annoying it's HER. Somehow she evolved her Tailmon into Shadow Angewomon … and Youkomon was helping her. They decimated the Scubamon and forced them to retreat."

"I did warn you not to underestimate my sister." She said without thinking and then cowered back when he hissed at her. "Sorry, master." She whimpered as he lifted her up by the throat.

"How did she get her to evolve?"

"I don't know, master." She replied truthfully enough but she followed it up with a lie. "I'd tell you if I did."

"Useless!" He threw her into a wall and she landed in a heap. Well at least she was still alive to serve her mistress, who's growing interest in this situation she could feel in the back of her mind.

"Evolving takes a lot of energy, master." She noted as she climbed to her feet.

"I know that, fool, but where is she getting it from?" He hissed and stalked over to her. "Think!"

"Could she be drawing it from here? You did pour a lot of energy into her."

"No. I set things up carefully so Hikari can't draw on my energy until she comes over to my side."

"This is very confusing. The only other source is Hikari … but that shouldn't work. Should it?" Unless there was more to that girl than met the eye. Her mistress seemed to think there was.

"No. It shouldn't." Dagomon confirmed.

"What the hell is going on?"

"I don't know." The last vestiges of his fury slipped back beneath his normal icy demeanour but she knew that it had not truly abated. She would have to tread very carefully for the next few days. He produced a black crystal that seemed to absorb what little light there was and yet remained visible. "Shall we go and find out, little one?" She shuddered at the sight of what he was holding.

"Yes, master." She said submissively.

"Good girl." He chuckled and pocketed the crystal. "I think we'll save that little surprise until after they discover their little problem." He picked her up in one tentacle and strode to the doors. A division of his servants immediately appeared to flank him. "Let's go and fetch my bride."

 


End file.
